


Second Chances

by ManedWolf



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 08:09:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10917801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ManedWolf/pseuds/ManedWolf
Summary: Hermione pauses to reflect, while Ron collects his courage.





	Second Chances

Hermione sighed. Bad enough that Ron's leg had been injured by Sirius  
Black in his Animagus form, but did he have to over-dramatize the  
wound? It was after all only a bite, not a break. Honestly, he sounded  
like Malfoy, playing on Pansy Parkinson's sympathies months ago in the  
Great Hall after he had goaded Buckbeak into attacking him and damaging  
his arm.

Remembering the gruesome fate of the innocent Hippogriff that she  
technically had not witnessed only hours ago, she winced reflexively,  
then returned her attention to Ron, tentatively touching the swelling  
around his bite mark.

His responding hiss of pain made her jump, and she gingerly pulled back  
both hands, palms open in a gesture of apology.

Before she could speak, Ron blurted, "I'm sorry."

She felt her brows knitting together. "Whatever for?"

"Well... you know ... Scabbers and ... Crookshanks and... You were  
right, and I was wrong."

She turned her head, fighting a sudden surge of tears that had risen to  
prickle her eyes and struggling to ignore the way her heart had jolted  
at his confession. She had felt so uncharacteristically out of control  
during the past few days. She hated to concede such weakness, but she  
also had to admit that she was rapidly reaching the end of her tether.

The hand she raised to touch the forming lump in her throat brushed  
against an all-too-familiar chain. That stupid Time Turner... She would  
be so glad to return it to Professor McGonagall. At least the term had  
ended, and she would never need to use the bloody thing again...

"What's that?"

Her hand automatically pushed down the telltale sign of the albatross  
around her neck. "It's nothing, I ... I'll tell you later."

The expression in his blue eyes was sceptical when she met them again,  
but he let her vague dissembling pass without further comment.

"So," she prompted, "I was right, and you were wrong?"

He smiled wryly. "Not like you aren't almost always right about  
everything."

She drew a shaky breath. "Almost always?"

And suddenly they were both laughing as though she had just cracked the  
funniest joke in the world.

A moan interrupted their shared hilarity. Peter Pettigrew, Wormtail,  
the erstwhile rat in question, came lurching towards them from the  
tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow, gibbering hysterically, a grimly  
silent Professor Lupin on his heels.

The smaller man dropped to his knees in supplication. "Ron, wasn't I a  
good pet? You wouldn't let them give me to the Dementors, would you? I  
was your rat!"

The bulging eyes turned to her. "Sweet girl, clever girl, surely you  
won't –"

"Get away from her!" Lupin snapped, dragging him off them none too  
gently.

Hermione heard Ron mutter, "I let him sleep in my bed."

She sighed. "It's all right. You didn't know."

She glanced at his rueful smile and found herself feeling warmer inside.

Despite what Harry claimed, some people were not worth a second chance.

But some people most definitely were.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for the "Ron/Hermione Valentine's Day Gift Fic Exchange" at Checkmated. Thank you to gingerale for my prompts (and eventual title) "Flangst" and "Second Chances."
> 
> Movie!canon for the purposes of slipping in a “missing moment” that the frenetic pace and other elements of book!canon would not have allowed


End file.
